John w



(No Model.)

v J. W. RAYNOR.

TORPEDO SETTER.

No. 537,359. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

WITNESSES: INVENTOI? A TTOHWF rs.

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Unrrnn STATES FFECEQ JOHN WV. RAYNOR, OF SEDAL IA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TOHIMSELF AND CHABLESE. WHITNEY, OF SAME PLACE.

-SETTER.

SPEGIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,359, dated April 9,1895.

Application filed December 5, 1 8 94:.

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, JOHN W. RAYNOR, of Sedalia, in the county of Pettisand State of Missouri, have invented anew and Improved Torpedo-Setter,of which the following is a full,c1ear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in torpedo setters such as areadapted for use in fastening railroad torpedoes to the track rails.

The object of my invention is to produce a device which enables atorpedo of any ordinaryv construction to be instantly and firmlyattached to a rail, and further, to produce a simple and easily operateddevice which may be operated from a rapidly moving train to fasten atorpedo to the rail, so that in-case there is no time to stop the trainand work any ordinary signal and fasten a torpedo by hand, or if for anyother reason it is desirable to instantly apply the torpedo to the railfor signal purposes, it can be surely and quickly accomplished.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference'indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 isa perspective view of the device with a torpedo held therein.Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation of the device with the torpedo placedupon a rail ready to be set. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, showingthe position of the device in relation to the rail and torpedo strapwhen the setting arms are moved into position to fasten the said torpedostrap to a rail. Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 1; andFig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The device is provided with a handle which should be long enough toextend to a rail when held by a person standing on the platform of acar, and projecting from one end of the handle are the spring arms 11which, at the parts next the handle, are parallel and are adapted tonormally spring to the position shown in Fig. 1, and these arms are heldto the handle beneath a ferrule 12 Serial No. 5 3 0,86 7. (No model.)

' and have their inner ends bent at right angles, as shown at 13, toprevent them from being moved endwisein the handle, but itwill of coursebe understood that they may be fastened to the handle in any convenientway and that any suitable handle may be used. These arms 11 are bentoppositely outward at nearly right angles, as shown at 14, and then bentinward to form inclines 15 which at'the ends are bent outward agai.n,asshown'at 16, so that'the wires forming the spring arms, shoulders, andinclines are near their free ends formed into curved arms 17 which areoppositely arranged and terminate in loops 18 adapted to receive thestrap 19 of a torpedo 20. These straps are usually of lead or otherpliable metal, and hence it will be seen that the strap may be easilybent so as to be retained temporarily in the loops 18 and that, owing tothe flexibility of the straps, the loops may be easily pulled off thestraps when necessary.

The torpedo is of the usual form and is adapted to rest against a heador push plate 21, which is secured to arms 22, preferably four innumber, and these are slid-able in keepers 23 on the handle, the keepersbeing secured to the ferrule 12. The arms 22 carrying the push plate areprovided with a ring 24 which embraces the spring arms 11 and is adaptedto operate from the inclines 15 which serve the purpose of cams, as willpresently appear, and while the ring 24 may be in anysuitable mannersecured to the arms 22 it is preferably fastened by winding thearms'once around it so as to form keepers 25, as this makes a verystrong connection. The movement'of the arms on the handle is limited bya collar 26.

When a torpedo is to be applied to a rail 27, it is at first fastened tothe torpedo setter, this having the push plate 21 moved outward, as inFigs. 1 and 2, so that the torpedo rests upon it, and the strap 19 ofthe torpedo has its ends inserted in the loops 18 and bent so as toretain the strap.

grasped by the handle and when the torpedo is to be affixed to the rail,the operator brings the torpedo as nearly as possible to the rail andimmediately above it, and then gives a quick downward push on the handlewhich The device is then IOO ' downward through the handle, while therail and torpedo stop the push plate 21 and thus the inclines or cams 15in passing downward through the ring 24, cause the said spring arms 11and loops 18 to be forced toward each other and the loops are thusbrought together beneath the shoulder of the rail, carrying the strap 19with them as shown in Fig. 3, and at the point where the bending of thestrap is completed the inclines 15 slip through the ring 24 and over theshoulder 14, thus permitting the arms 11 and loops 18 to spring quicklyapart to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the torpedois left fastened to the rail 27. The arms may then be pressed togetherso as to permit the shoulders to be pushed back through the ring 24, andthe device is ready to be used again.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A torpedo setter, comprising a pair of spring armshaving oppositely curved free ends with terminal loops, a push plateheld between the arms and movable longitudinally in relation thereto,and a cam mechanism actuated by the push plate to move the armstogether, substantially as described.

2. A torpedo setter, comprising a pair of oppositely arranged springarms having inclines thereon and formed near their free ends intoopposite curves having terminal loops, a push plate held between thearms, and a ring connected to the push plate and embracing the arms,substantially as described.

3. A torpedo setter comprising ahandle, a pair of spring arms mountedthereon and having opposite inclines and terminal bends, a push platelocated between the bends of the arms',a ferrule mounted on the end ofthe handle and provided with keepers and an abutment, rods connected tothe push plate and sliding in the keepers on the ferrule and adapted toengage said abutment and a de- .Vice carried by said rods to engage theinclines on the spring arms, substantially as set forth.

4. In a torpedo setter, the combination of a handle having at its endspring arms adapted for attachment to the torpedo, a push-plate locatedbetween the arms, said push-plate being movable relatively to the armsand adapted to bear against the upper face of-the torpedo carriedthereby, and means for moving said arms toward and from one another,substantially as set forth.

JOHN W. RAYNOR.

Witnesses:

CHAs. T. HARRIS, J. H. J ONES.

